


A Stroll On All Hallow’s Eve

by GoldBlooded



Series: Stucky Flavor of the Month [7]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: ALL THE GOOD STUFF, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Artist Steve Rogers, Blow Jobs, Bottom Bucky, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Come Marking, D/s overtones, Darcy is Bettie Page, Dirty Talk, Dom Steve Rogers, Dorks in Love, Emotional Sex, Engineer Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Frankly obscene amounts of sappy romance, Fun Halloween things, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Happy Ending, Honestly it's ridiculous, M/M, Minor Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Past Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers, Pirate Bucky Barnes, Porn With Plot, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Power Dynamics, Prostate Orgasm, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Schmoop, Self-indulgent fluff, Semi-Public Sex, Steve Rogers in Booty Shorts, Stucky - Freeform, Sub Bucky Barnes, Thirsting, Thor is Khal Drogo, Tony Stark's overly opulant Spooktacular Halloween Party, Top Steve, Top Steve Rogers, all hallow's eve, costume contest, holiday fic, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 15:01:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16477766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldBlooded/pseuds/GoldBlooded
Summary: The costume contest at Stark's annual Halloween blowout is really not important to Steve, except that Bucky gets a twinkle in his eye every time it's brought up.Add in a face from the past, and well... Steve may or may not have a competitive side.This is gonna call for a lot of glitter.





	A Stroll On All Hallow’s Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween my lovelies! This month's Flavor is a very popular request: the return of the [Luck of the Irish Stroll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13965333) fellas! I really enjoyed writing this fic for you guys, and it's done wonders to help me get my writing mojo back. :)
> 
> Many thanks to:  
> -my good friend Laney, the best real-life fic friend a girl could ask for;  
> -[chicklette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicklette/pseuds/chicklette) for the alpha read, hand-holding, and ass-kicking encouragement;  
> -[LeisurelyPanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeisurelyPanda), who is one of the best motivators and cheerleaders ever;  
> -[stfustucky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillpaintasongforlou/pseuds/stfustucky) for the last-minute beta and amazing real-time reactions;  
> -all my loyal and faithful readers, because without you none of this would even matter.
> 
> I love you all!

“Walter White and Jesse Pinkman?”

“No.”

“Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy?”

“Nah.”

“ _Wizard of Oz_ entourage?”

Steve scrunched his nose. “Which of us is brainless or heartless? Or a coward?”

“Well, we know _you’re_ not the Cowardly Lion, so probably the Scarecrow for you? Ow! You have such sharp elbows! But no, that leaves me the Tin Man. Or Dorothy...blue gingham would certainly bring out my eyes…”

As much as Steve probably _would_ appreciate Bucky in a blue gingham dress, he still wasn’t convinced. “Meh. Just not feelin’ it.”

“You know,” Bucky said, giving him the side-eye, “For a guy who says he ‘doesn’t really care’ what we go as for Halloween, you sure have a lot of opinions.”

Steve shrugged. “Took me by surprise, too.”

“Look, Stark’s party is gonna be huge. You don’t even care about the costume contest, that’s fine. But we gotta go as _something_.”

“I dunno, just never really been that into Halloween, despite Sam’s best efforts. All I know is, if I’m gonna be dressed up all night in something itchy and uncomfortable, I want to actually like what I’m going as.”

Bucky hummed. “Mm, yeah, that’s fair. Ooh, what about something from _Peter Pan?”_

Steve paused for a minute, reaching across the back of the sofa to stroke the back of Bucky’s neck while he thought it over. _Peter Pan_ was Bucky’s favorite fairy tale, and if he wanted to exude his forever-young mischief while in tights and a green tunic? Well Steve could certainly be compelled to wear a pirate’s coat for that.

“Okay.”

“Yeah?” Bucky’s eyes grew wide and hopeful, and Steve couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah.”

The way Bucky pushed him back and climbed in his lap had Steve confirming his great decision.

\---

A few mornings later, they were brushing their teeth when Bucky said something that made Steve choke on his toothpaste.

“So, should I go as classic Captain Hook or like, _Once Upon A Time_ Hook?”

It was a minute and a mouthrinse before Steve could croak, “What?”

“For Halloween. Classic, simple Hook, or intricate, detailed Hook?”

“But...I thought...weren’t you going as Peter Pan?”

Bucky’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would I do that? Then you’d have to go as… oh my god, you thought _you_ were going as Hook?”

Steve blushed and opened that cabinet for mouthwash. “Well yeah, I mean-”

“Stevie, baby,” Bucky said, twining his arms around Steve’s neck, “I mean this with all the love in the world: you aren’t really the swashbuckling type.”

Steve’s mouth dropped in half- mock, half-real offense. “I am _too_ swashbuckling! You’re saying all the time how I’m a troublemaker!”

“Yes, but, in an ‘I don’t know how to mind my own business and/or my way is obviously the right way’ kind of vibe, not an ‘I’m too cool for this shit’ kind of vibe.”

“Wha-!” Steve tried to protest, but Bucky continued undeterred.

“Think about it. You’re selfless and stubborn. You stand up to the bad guy, no matter what they look like or what their reputation is. You try to make people feel better, and you’ve got a group of your own Lost Boys. _And_ you’ve got that boyish charm, especially when you’ve shaved.”

Steve wanted to argue those points, but it was hard to argue with someone who knew you inside and out. He sighed and conceded. “Classic Hook, then. New stuff is too fancy.”

Bucky smiled and leaned up for a kiss that started sweet and ended steamy. With a mischievous glint in his eye Bucky pulled back and said, “You know, if you don’t wanna go as Peter, you could always go as Tinkerbell.” Steve rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head, while Bucky giggled. “What? All I’m saying is that sometimes less is more, Stevie.”

Steve answered by slapping Bucky’s ass and smothering his cackle with another kiss.

\---

Bucky spent his day happy as a clam, doing calculations and drawing trajectories. Ever since Stark Industries had created their own in-house space program and pulled him from the Applied Engineering Lab to work on their new rockets, he’d been more professionally fulfilled than ever.

Plus, his relationship with Steve was going great; they’d moved in together the month prior, despite only being in an actual relationship since March. But that was okay, they were doing things at their own pace. And so far, they were rock solid.

In fact, the only _real_ fight they’d been in (complete with yelling, tears, shouts of betrayal and threats to break up) was over which pizza place would be their regular. It became moot when Natasha introduced them to her new friend Clint, who owned a place nearby that had better pizza than both.

Bucky was currently spending his lunch hour rocking out to Spotify’s ‘Halloween Monster Jams’ playlist and perusing costume ideas for Captain Hook, when he came across a truly gorgeous replica of _Once Upon A Time_ ’s Hook costume on Etsy. It was so detailed and beautiful it made his mouth water.

Still staring at his monitor, he called Steve.

“ _Hey babe, having a good day?_ ”

“Yeah, I am,” Bucky smiled. Steve always asked that when Bucky called him from work. If Bucky wasn’t having a good day, Steve took it upon himself to try and make it a little better. (He of course always did.)

“ _That’s good! What’re you having for lunch?”_

“I went downstairs to the café. They’re doing a special on steak sandwiches today,” Bucky said, taking the last bite. “What about you?”

_"Oh, I’m at the green market right now, figured I’d get something from that guy that makes those little pot pies.”_

“Ooh, yeah, good weather for that.”

_“Right?”_

“Definitely. Hey, listen, I know you advised to keep it classic, but I found this amazing _Once_ Hook costume and I really wanna get it.”

“ _Well, sure, Buck, if that’s what you want to get, you should do it. It’s not like you won’t rock the hell out of it.”_

“You’re just saying that because you think Hook’s hot.”

_“Lies!”_

“And the Mad Hatter…”

“ _Lies and slander! From my own partner!”_ Bucky couldn’t help giggling and his coworkers gave him some pretty hefty eyerolls, as if he didn’t know how disgusting he and Steve could be at times. “ _But seriously, swarthy guys with dark hair and blue eyes? It’s almost like I have a type,”_ Steve said with dripping sarcasm.

Bucky’s smile grew fond and warm, and he said softly, “Lucky me.”

“ _Um, excuse you, my boyfriend is a sexy pirate. I think I’m the lucky one here, pal.”_

\---

The green market was bustling with its usual vendors and customers, and Steve happily toted along fresh vegetables, honeycrisp apples, duck legs, and pumpkin butter. He stopped at the florist tent, thinking that Bucky might like one of their purple and orange bouquets, since last week Steve had picked him yellow and white.

He was drawn to the display of chrysanthemums when he accidentally bumped into a blonde woman.

“Oh, excuse-... _Sharon?_ ”

The lady turned and her eyes went wide. “Oh, wow! Steve, hi! It’s been a while!”

It certainly had. Two years, actually. Steve and Sharon weren’t together very long; probably around ten months, back when he and Bucky were only seeing each other once a year.

“Yeah, it has. You, um. You look great!”

“Thanks, you too! So, uh… how are you?”

“I’m good. Really, good, actually,” Steve said, smiling as he thought of Bucky. “What about you?”

“The same,” she said, smiling. She looked genuinely happy.

He meant every word when he said, “I’m glad to hear that.”

They smiled at each other for a moment, which turned a little long and a little awkward and Steve started to feel itchy and didn’t know what to say or do to make it stop-

“Do you have any fun plans for Halloween?” Sharon asked, a little tense herself.

“Oh, yeah! My partner works at Stark Industries so we’re going to the big company shindig.”

“Really? What a weird coincidence, mine does too! He works for the Stark Fund. He’s actually in Africa right now, taking a shipment of the new Stark Straws and sanitizers to help provide better access to clean drinking water.”

“Hey, that’s really awesome,” Steve said, feeling his competitive side hum to life. “Mine works in the Stark Galactic department. He designs rockets and is part of a think tank about terraforming Mars.”

“Oh wow! That’s super cool!” Sharon said with a smile that was ever-so-slightly stiff. Steve smirked inwardly. “So I guess we’ll see you guys there, then? Are you going to do the costume contest?”

“I’m actually not sure…” Steve bluffed.

“We’re entering,” Sharon said confidently. “Been planning it since the summer.”

“Oh yeah? What are you going as?”

Surely whatever it was wouldn’t be that great. It would be something old and tired ( _l_ _ike Peter Pan,_ his traitorous brain supplied) and it wouldn’t have a chance.

“Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole. You know, from _Parks and Rec?_ ”

Oh, Steve knew. He and Bucky loved watching a few episodes of _Parks and Rec_ at the end of a long day to unwind. And fuck it all if that wasn’t the most amazing couples costume Steve had ever fucking heard of.

_God fucking damn it._

“That’s… that’s really cool, actually,” Steve said.

Sharon beamed. “Right? We’re very proud of it. What are you going as?”

Steve willed himself to be vague, to save face, to deflect. “Peter Pan and Captain Hook,” his mouth said without permission.

Sharon’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, that’s very...tried and true.”

Steve fought down a grimace. “Yeah, we wanted to stick to the classics.”

Sharon’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out for a look. “Hey, I’m sure that’ll work for you. Some things you just miss if you don’t see them at Halloween parties, right?”

“Hah, right,” Steve forced a laugh, and felt his blood pressure rise slightly.

“Well listen, I’ve gotta go. But it was good running into you, and I guess I’ll see you at the Stark Spooktacular!”

Steve smiled and waved her off, before buying the biggest and most elaborate purple and orange bouquet for Bucky, as well as a pot of maroon chrysanthemums for their window. He simmered and plotted the whole walk home, while he was putting his purchases away, and while he Googled specialty stores.

Bucky had offered many off-the-wall and clever suggestions, some of them even rivaling fucking _Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole._ He’d offered at least a dozen, and Steve had turned them all down and chosen to go the basic route.

But the contest wasn’t won by boring costumes, and he and Bucky _needed_ to win. Sure, Steve and Sharon might have drawn a tie in their ‘whose boyfriend is more accomplished’ race, but it was clear she was expecting to win the costume contest without any threat at all from them.

Steve could not abide this. He had to _crush her._

Bucky had already found his costume, and knowing him it was amazing and over-the-top. That was a good start, but it was up to Steve to pull his weight. He couldn’t go as anything less than something jaw-dropping, or they wouldn’t even stand a chance. On the walk to the store Google recommended to him, Bucky’s words kept echoing in his mind.

_Sometimes, Stevie, less is more._

He was so frothy when he stepped into Mama Cadenza’s Performance Emporium that he must have looked like he was spoiling for a fight.

“Can I help you?” the thin man said in a voice that was at once cautious and velvety. His auburn curls tumbled artfully off to one side, and his eyes narrowed.

“Um, yeah,” Steve said firmly. “I think I need booty shorts. And fairy wings. And… possibly… pixie dust?”

The salesman’s whole posture relaxed as he took Steve’s arm and led him deeper into the store.

“Oh, _honey._ You have come to the _right_ place.”

\---

“Oh! You’re home early,” Steve said as he stepped into the apartment and closed the door.

“I was at a good stopping point on my project and didn’t wanna push it,” Bucky replied, spooning what looked to be Pad Thai onto a couple of plates. “Your timing is uncanny.”

“Well you know me,” Steve said, coming to kiss Bucky sweetly on the cheek in welcome. “I’m just the luckiest.”

When Bucky smiled big enough to suit Steve, he went to the bedroom to unload his various shopping bags. He emerged to dinner on the coffee table, along with a couple of beers and a selection of Halloween movies to choose from on the TV.

“I have a question.” Bucky stated as they got settled on the sofa.

“Shoot,” Steve said, taking a swig of beer.

“How are you gonna buy me flowers when it turns winter and everything’s dead?”

Steve turned and cupped Bucky’s face with both hands, kissing him slow and deep. “Pal, if you think I’m not gonna bring you little boughs of evergreen or holly, or a pot of poinsettias, you’ve got another thing comin’. Even if I have to drive out to the woods and trudge through the snow to collect pinecones, or do newspaper origami or whatever. You’ll have somethin’ new to put on the dining table every week.”

Bucky’s breath had gone shaky and he lighty gripped Steve’s wrists. “I love my flowers, you know. So much.”

“Well, I love _you._ ”

And Bucky blushed so prettily Steve couldn’t help but crowd him against the plush cushions and remind him just how much he was loved.

They microwaved their Pad Thai, opened fresh beers, and cuddled naked on the sofa watching _Hocus Pocus_ for the evening.

Steve really, really loved his life.

\---

Twin movie marathons were happening simultaneously, because Steve and Natasha hated “stupid so-called ‘horror’ movies” - complete with air quotes when they said ‘horror’ - and Bucky and Sam liked literally every chaotic part about Halloween. This included chainsaws, terrible masks, predictable slayings, witchcraft...all of it.

Bucky and Sam had gone to The Gravesend Inn, Brooklyn’s best haunted house, and gotten themselves all worked up. (Sam may or may not have almost sucker-punched an axe murderer in the throat.) Then they grabbed a case of Oktoberfest beer, watched each other’s backs on the subway, and barricaded themselves in Steve and Bucky’s apartment. They had a classic triple-feature planned: _Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street,_ and _Friday the 13th._

Halfway through _Halloween,_ Sam got up to wedge a chair against the doorknob and Bucky pulled every blanket they had out of the closet to cushion them against any attacks.

-

Steve and Natasha’s spooky sugar cookies were turning out great. Steve was piping the Frankensteins and ghosties, and Natasha was decorating the spiders, cauldrons, and coffins.

“We should open a pop-up shop,” Steve said, adding the bolts to Frankenstein’s neck.

“Definitely Instagram worthy,” Natasha agreed, and grabbed her phone.

After the next batch was out of the oven and cooling, they grabbed a few cookies and a glass of milk each, and settled in to watch _The Rocky Horror Picture Show._

-

There was a bang.

And then another one, louder this time.

Several more consecutive bangs, loud enough to drown out the grisly murder happening on their screen.

“...Do you think this apartment is haunted?” Bucky asked. He tried to keep his tone joking but failed miserably.

“Oh, it’s definitely haunted,” Sam agreed, completely serious.

They burrowed further under their blankets and scooched just a little closer to each other.

-

“You know,” Steve said, with a tiny orange saw knife in hand. “I understand why _I’m_ decent at carving pumpkins. I’m an artist, and this is just another medium. But _you?_ You are wildly talented with a knife.”

He looked up from his Superman jack-o-lantern to Natasha, who was humming along to the music of _It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown._ She was adding intricate details to her own jack-o-lantern: a huge, menacing, and seemingly anatomically-correct black widow spider.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Should I not be?”

-

“There’s nothing on the fire escape! We’re twelve stories up, we live in one of the biggest cities on Earth! There’s nothing on _this particular fire escape!_...Right?”

The howling wind and rattling metal outside the apartment window begged to differ. As did the creaks and groans and inhuman yowling.

“I don’t know anything anymore, man!” Sam said, before yelling at the window. “I AM A WAR VETERAN, MOTHERFUCKER! YOU DON’T WANNA COME IN HERE! BEST _MOVE ALONG!”_

-

“Whoever heard of apple cider moonshine?” Natasha asked, polishing off the bottle as she topped up their glasses.

“Prob’ly the guy who invented it.”

They _cheers_ ’d and turned their attention back to _The Addams Family._ They shuffled to more comfortable positions, since they were both a little drunk and getting sleepy.

After a while, Steve said, “You’re just like her, you know?” He scratched at his cat ear headband and pointed at the screen.

“Who, Morticia?”

“Mmhm. You’re all… you’re all beautiful and wise, but like, _scary_ too.”

Natasha’s cheeks flushed, and her witch hat flopped to one side as she tucked her feet under Steve’s thigh.

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Okay, so maybe the moonshine was stronger than they’d expected.

-

Bucky and Sam burrowed into their respective corners, safe from everything in the world.

“You are a _genius,_ Sam Wilson. Nothing bad ever happens in blanket forts!”

“Right?” Sam crowed. “When in doubt, fortify! We got pillows, we got beer. We’re safe, no matter what-”

_BOOM._

“ _What the...Bucky?”_ came a muffled voice, followed by several pounds on the door. “ _Bucky, are you alright? I can’t open the door!”_

Bucky tripped while fleeing the blanket fort, banging his knee on the side table but managing to unwedge the chair before Steve broke the whole thing apart.

He had no shame in climbing Steve and clinging to him like a spider monkey. He was sure Sam also felt no shame when Natasha pulled him into her arms and said, “It’s okay baby, I got you.”

-

Later that night, Steve held Bucky close and ran soothing hands along his back. They had bellies full of sugar cookies and beer, fresh hickeys on their skin, and Bucky couldn’t have been more content. He felt deep within his soul that no matter what, the safest place in the world was in Steve’s arms.

Freddy and Jason could suck it.

\---

Bucky couldn’t have been happier with the handmade Hook costume he’d gotten off Etsy. It was expensive but _so_ worth it. What was even the point of half-assing a Captain Hook costume, anyway?

He took a lot of care in getting ready for the Stark Spooktacular. Steve said he’d gotten his costume sorted and Bucky trusted him. Honestly, he didn’t even mind if Steve didn’t wanna dress up, as long as he enjoyed himself. But now Steve seemed really into it, so Bucky was along for the ride.

Steve was sweet and kind and thoughtful, so Bucky tried to show his appreciation as much as possible. He’d made Steve’s favorite apple strudel as a surprise for breakfast in the morning, and was taking care to prepare himself _very_ carefully for the evening.

(You’re damn right he bought a new plug to go with his costume. He wasn’t a slacker, thank you.)

He lined his eyes to bring out the blue of his irises the way Natasha taught him, and tousled his hair so it looked rakish and windswept. Once he deemed himself fit to not just walk among the undead, but make their heads turn as well, he emerged from the bathroom.

The entrance was bittersweet.

Bitter, because he’d been looking forward to seeing Steve in skin-hugging tights; and sweet because Steve was looking at Bucky like he wanted to devour him.

“Decided against dressing up?” Bucky asked.

Steve held up a bag. “Nah, just a little chilly to be walking around in tights. I figured I’d change when we get there. Besides, I really want to surprise you.”

Well, Bucky could certainly get behind that.

\---

This was the worst idea Steve had ever had.

He was cold, the hot pants kept trying to ride up, the body glitter was _everywhere_ , and he couldn’t get his wings on.

“Son of a motherfucking…” he muttered, as another glob of glitter gel landed on the sink.

Just then, there was a rattle at the door handle and a curvy Bettie Page-lookalike burst into the small room.

“Hey!” Steve protested, as her eyes widened.

_“Ohmygod.”_

“This is the _men’s room!”_

“Uh, excuse you, my very muscular friend, but all of the bathrooms at Stark Industries are gender neutral.”

“...Oh.”

“Are you alright? You seem kind of a mess. A _hot_ mess, but still a mess.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but found he couldn’t. “I, uh, honestly have no idea what I’m doing.”

Bettie Page gestured in his general direction and then steepled her fingers against her chin. “What is the goal here?”

“Tinkerbell.”

“Oh, I am _so_ on board with that. I gotchu. Hold still.”

Steve did as he was told, and held his arms out as she gleefully spread an even layer of glitter over all of his visible skin, which was, well, most of it. Then she eased the elastic of the wings over his arms (complimenting his biceps along the way) and touched up patches where glitter had rubbed off. Last but not least, she tugged on his hot pants so they stopped riding up.

Once that was finished, she gestured to his head. “What are you doing with your hair?”

“...This?”

She gave him a look like _bitch, please._ “Tinkerbell isn’t clean-cut like a friggin’ boy scout. Tinkerbell is a sassy lil’ shit. She’s a mischief-maker, she answers to nobody but herself. Does your hair look like it belongs to somebody like that?”

“...No...”

“Do you have any experience being anything like Tinkerbell?”

Steve snorted. _Only my entire life ever_. “Yeah, here and there.”

“What kind of hair does that part of you want to have?”

Steve stared at himself in the mirror for a minute, and then slowly reached up and ran his fingers through the strands. He broke up the careful combing, and mussed it to look a little messy, a little like bedhead.

“Ooh, yeah, there you go! Here, let me just- _yesss._ That’s the jackpot!” Bettie said, and Steve saw that she had made it a little more artful.

Steve grinned at her. “Thank you so much. I’m sorry to be an imposition like this.”

“ _Imposition_ he says,” Bettie scoffed. “My dude, this was an _honor.”_

Then she took a picture of him, for ‘professional pride,’ and kicked him out of the bathroom.

“Time to spread those pixie wings and fly, Tink! I _really_ gotta pee.”

-

In true Tony Stark fashion, the party was over the top.

There were floating jack-o-lanterns and bats hanging from the ceiling, with spiderwebs everywhere. It should have been campy and cheesy, but the quality was so high Stark pulled it off. Bucky could swear there weren’t strings attached to the floating objects, and if you looked close enough, you might just find little spiders in the webs.

There were drinks that were deep purple and smoking, food that was both creepy _and_ delicious, and many, many amazing costumes. Bucky almost wished Steve had wanted to enter the contest, but he was happy just to have him to celebrate with. That being said, where was Steve?

Bucky did a circuit of the perimeter, mentally bookmarking a fortune teller’s tent so he could get his palm read later. He also raised an eyebrow at the absinthe station, and added that to his list as well.

Just then, something wonderful caught his eye. The room parted for him like the Red Sea: Bucky’s glorious, ethereal boyfriend.

Steve was on full display; he must have just done some push-ups and jumping jacks to get his muscles to pop like that. And _oh,_ the glitter...the shimmer and shine on his skin highlighted every little cut and crevice of Steve’s impressive muscles. They made Bucky’s mouth water, but what Steve was wearing made his throat dry.

Bright green metallic hot pants.

This was the best day of Bucky’s life.

Steve approached, his tiny wings adding even more exaggeration to his size. The high-top green converse on Steve’s feet absolutely had to be part of his regular wardrobe now, so that every time he wore them, Bucky could think back and fondly remember this, the most glorious of days.

Steve’s eyes were locked on his and Bucky instantly felt his cheeks flame. He wanted to touch _so badly,_ he wanted to run his hands through Steve’s hair and turn it from ‘looks like...’ to genuine, bona fide ‘just fucked.’

Once they were chest to chest, all Bucky could do was stare at Steve and breathe out a, “Hi.”

Steve gave him a crooked grin. “Hey.”

“You look...you’re so…” Bucky tried to find words, but all that happened was a hard clench around the plug in his ass.

“Yeah? That good?”

Bucky hummed and reached out a hand to run along Steve’s chest, but stopped himself so he wouldn’t mess up the glitter. “Shame we’re not in the costume contest, with you lookin’ like that.”

Steve leaned in close to his ear and said huskily, “Bold of you to assume I didn’t already sign us up,” and pulled back with a smirk.

All Bucky could do was stare.

-

For Bucky’s sake, Steve was glad the long pirate’s coat hid his otherwise obvious boner. Steve felt very flattered as he gently stroked the material of Bucky’s lapel, trying to get himself under control when he heard his name.

“Steve! You made it!”

Steve turned and saw Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole heading their way.

“Sharon, hi. Yep, just like I said.” Steve tried to hide the irritation at being interrupted, but barreled through. “Ah, this is my partner Bucky, he works for Stark Galactic, like I was telling you. Buck, this is Sharon, my ex-girlfriend.”

Bucky immediately tore his eyes from Steve and narrowed them at Sharon. “Hello,” he said cooly.

“Steve, this is Jason, who works for the Stark Fund, you remember?”

“Hey, nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Steve and Jason shook hands, and Jason eyed Steve up and down. “Man, you got some _wicked_ definition. How do you keep that kind of tone?”

Steve was honestly impressed with Jason’s question and easy demeanor, and they chatted for a few minutes before Sharon asked Bucky how long he and Steve had been together.

“Oh, off and on for almost six years? But steady since March.”

Sharon’s eyebrows rose and she turned to Steve. “Oh, I didn’t know you knew each other before we even met?”

“Uh, yeah,” Steve said. “It was sporadic at the time.”

The question in Sharon’s eyes was obvious: _did you ever cheat on me with him?_ But Steve had never given her any reason not to trust him, and she seemed to remember that.

“Well, I’m glad it’s working out for you so far.”

Steve nodded, and felt Bucky’s hand slip into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze as Jason spoke.

“So, Barnes. Our partners used to be partners with each other. That’s uh...that’s weird, right?”

Steve liked Jason more and more, especially when Bucky laughed out loud and breathed a little easier next to him.

“It’s totally weird, man.”

“Glad it’s not just me.”

-

At least Bucky didn’t have to worry about hiding his boner anymore, since it died a _very_ quick death.

There was no good reason for Bucky to not like Sharon, except for the fact that she’d once had Steve. Had him, and didn’t appreciate him. They looked so weird together, like someone took two beautiful, tall, blonde people and mashed them together because they looked like they were supposed to go with each other.

Except it was so very painfully obvious that they didn’t fit. Jason, though? Jason was rad, and Bucky wanted to have a steak sandwich with him soon.

Sharon wished them luck with the costume contest, and Bucky was very appreciative of several facts:

  1. That Steve had entered them into the contest;
  2. That Steve had gone all-out in a hurricane of glitter and juicy ass cheeks;
  3. That Steve obviously now wanted to win as much as Bucky did;
  4. That Steve clearly harbored exactly zero feelings for his ex;
  5. That Bucky himself had lube and condoms in his pocket.



As they watched Sharon and Jason (and their infuriatingly good costumes) fade into the crowd, Bucky squeezed Steve’s hand and led him to the absinthe station. Bucky picked ‘vampire blood’ for Steve, and Steve picked ‘witches brew’ for him. Both raised their eyebrows at the surprisingly delicious drinks.

-

Bucky dragged Steve onto the dancefloor, and it was a nice benefit that people kept staring and parting for Steve. Despite his stiff movements, the absinthe helped Steve relax a little and dance with him to 'Monster Mash,' 'Thriller,' and a few other classics. Bucky wanted to do nothing more than grind up onto those amazing hot pants, but had to keep a distance lest he get glitter all over his costume.

On another trip to the absinthe station (‘black magic’ for Steve, ‘Lucifer’s wine’ for Bucky,) they surprisingly ran into Sam and Natasha, who were dressed as Antony and Cleopatra.

...Except Natasha was wearing a blood-red toga and bronze armor, with a laurel wreath crowning her hair.

...Except Sam was decked out in gauzy fabric and glittering gold, complete with black wig, wrist cuffs, and sandals.

“Is that real laurel?” Steve asked Natasha.

“Do I look like a basic bitch to you? Of course it is.”

Bucky stared at Sam, and Sam stared back, obviously proud of his costume.

“Sam... _dude.”_

“Right? I got the legs for it.”

Bucky was inclined to agree; it seemed the only person at the party showing more leg than Sam was Steve.

“How did you guys get in?” Bucky asked, knowing full well what kind of security Stark had.

“Tony invited me, obviously,” said Natasha. Bucky choked.

“You’re on a first-name basis with _Tony Stark?_ ” Steve asked incredulously.

Natasha smirked at them. “What can I say, I have friends in all kinds of places.”

-

They danced more, this time with Sam and Natasha. They drank more absinthe, and got a little more loose. Bucky enjoyed the gropes and little nips that Steve bestowed on him, and couldn’t wait until they were back home and in the shower so he could lick over every inch of Steve’s skin.

Steve became alternately more relaxed and more tense, depending if he caught sight of Sharon, or if someone mentioned the costume contest. When the contestants were asked to congregate in the judging area, Bucky felt like Steve was either going to vibrate at a frequency high enough to shake himself apart, or start a fight.

Knowing Steve, it could be either.

“You okay?” he asked Steve quietly while the judges assessed the Popeye and Olive Oyl next to them.

“I will be, once this stupid thing is over. Once we _beat them_ …”

Bucky felt a little sad and dejected at that.

Was the costume contest stupid? Maybe, but it was fun, and there wasn’t any harm in that. Steve seemed to think it wasn’t even worth his time, except as a vehicle to best Sharon in some sort of invisible combat.

The way they circled each other, constantly poking and one-upping...god, their relationship must have been _exhausting._ It made Bucky tired just thinking about it. Once the costume assessment was over and Steve was staring hard at the judges scribbling notes, Bucky wandered over to the fortune teller’s tent. He stood in line behind Frida Kahlo, Quailman, and the girl from Clueless as he waited to get his palm read. Honestly, he needed a little space from Steve and how he was behaving.

Ten minutes and a wonderfully optimistic palm reading later, Bucky emerged from the tent to find Steve waiting for him.

“Hey, I lost you.”

“Yeah, wanted to do this all evening and the line went down.”

Bucky made his way over to the absinthe station again, Steve trailing closely.

“You okay?” Steve asked Bucky, as they chose fresh drinks: ‘Banshee tears’ and ‘Wolfsbane.’

Honestly, Bucky was a little drunk, a little tired, a little jealous, and a little disappointed.

“Yeah, I’m alright. Question is, are _you_ okay?”

Steve’s brow furrowed. “Whaddaya mean?”

“I mean,” Bucky said with a forlorn sigh, “Is that you only seem to care about one-upping your ex-girlfriend instead of having a good time with me.”

Steve’s face flashed angry, then indignant, then resigned, then determined. He grabbed Bucky’s hand, and pulled him away from the party.

-

If he was honest with himself, Steve would say his heart broke a little when he saw Bucky’s sad face and realized his priorities for the evening were fucked. He’d been a single-minded asshole, and Bucky paid the price.

All he could do now was make up for it.

He led Bucky by the hand to the small bathroom he’d used before, away from the main party and somehow miraculously vacant. Once inside, he made sure to lock the door properly that time, and pushed Bucky against it to kiss him hungrily.

“I’m an asshole,” Steve confessed against Bucky’s lips. “But please don’t ever doubt that enjoying myself with you is what I want to be doing more than anything else, a hundred percent of the time.”

“I just wanted you to come out and have fun with me, y’know? Didn’t really seem like you were.”

Steve rumbled low in his throat. “And I’m sorry for that. Let me make it up to you?”

With that, Steve kissed him again while sliding the long pirate coat off of his shoulders. He nipped at the skin of his Bucky’s throat, who giggled breathily.

“Do please continue. I’m _very_ interested in where this conversation is headed.”

Steve grinned against his skin, and sucked a bright bruise next to Bucky’s adam’s apple to stake a noticeable claim. Bucky gasped, and visibly struggled with that to do with his hands.

“Touch me,” Steve requested.

“Are you not familiar with glitter physics?”

“Does it even matter? Are you ever gonna wear your pirate costume again?”

Bucky gave him a smoldering look and a crooked grin. “That depends, do you want me to?”

And, well, Steve hadn’t really thought that far ahead until right then.

“Okay, hands to yourself,” he ordered, and pinned Bucky’s arms against the door. “Stay.”

Bucky just nodded and tracked his movements as Steve fell to his knees. “So, I know that you know how hot you look like this. I also know you’re probably itching to make a terrible joke, and I swear to god, If you make any pirate puns right now, I am _leaving-”_

“But Buck,” Steve said earnestly, nuzzling his crotch. “I only wanted a little booty.”

“You’re fired,” said Bucky. Steve loostened the laces on his breeches.

“I just _treasure_ you so much.” Down came the pants and deep red boxer briefs.

“You’re just the worst,” gasped Bucky.

Steve hummed in agreement, but it was with Bucky’s cock deep in his throat, which earned him several _fuckfuckfucks_. He pulled off quickly and asked, “Want me to stop?”

“Oh my GOD, Steve, would you just- _aaaah!”_

Steve worked Bucky’s cock over good, just how he knew Bucky liked best. When he felt tugging on his hair, he pulled off with a pop.

“Wait. Got a...got a surprise for you,” Bucky panted.

Steve raised his eyebrows. “You know you don’t have to do that,” he said, though he felt himself blushing all the same.

Bucky just gave him a small, seductive grin before shuffling to the sink and bending right over it.

Steve’s jaw dropped.

There, in between Bucky’s luscious cheeks, was the black base of a butt plug. It beckoned to him, so he scooted forward on his knees until he was up close and able to touch. He tapped it lightly, and Bucky sighed contentedly. The plug’s base was thin and soft, obviously for long-wearing comfort. Steve tugged at it and watched Bucky’s hole flutter with the movement.

“Oh, baby,” Steve crooned, while giving experimental little tugs on the base. “You’re so good for me, got yourself ready just to take me whenever. Been planning this for days, haven’t you?” Steve glanced up to the mirror and locked eyes with Bucky, who flushed and nodded. Steve smiled approvingly. “So I suspect you probably have lube somewhere on you as well?”

Bucky nodded again. “Jacket pocket.”

Steve quickly retrieved both condoms and sachets of lube. “Okay, so this can go one of two ways. We wear condoms, and cleanup is quick and painless.”

-

“Or?” Bucky asked, still looking at Steve in the mirror.

Steve rolled his booty shorts down enough to pull himself out of the straining fabric and plastered himself against Bucky’s back. He slid his cock along the crevice of Bucky’s ass, whispering low and possessive in his ear. “Or, I fill you up, remind you who you belong to, and put the plug back in.”

Bucky’s face flushed deeper and his own cock twitched. He nodded vehemently. Yes, he needed that; needed Steve to stake his claim again, needed to feel that ownership over him, because nobody could ever love him like Steve did.

While Bucky was lost in thought, Steve had slicked himself up. He gently pulled the plug from Bucky’s body and set it next to the sink, sighing wistfully.

“So gorgeous, Buck. Can’t get enough.” Steve said as he gently entered Bucky all the way in one easy slide.

It was pure perfection, as usual; nothing ever filled Bucky in the same, satisfying way as Steve’s cock. He moaned and clenched around Steve, who let out a gasp. Steve rolled his hips languidly at first, eventually building up a steady rhythm that lit Bucky’s skin on fire.

Steve placed a domineering hand on the back of Bucky’s neck, pushing him forward so he was face down against the sparkling marble counter, helpless to do anything but watch in the mirror as Steve straightened up and kept rocking into him. One hand stayed on Bucky’s neck, and the other slapped an ass cheek and then gripped it for leverage, pounding into Bucky so, so good.

“So fuckin’ beautiful, babe,” Steve praised, running his free hand along Bucky’s back. “God, I love you so much. Don’t gotta worry, I could never even _think_ about anyone else, as long as I got you.”

Bucky’s cock again twitched at the praise, hanging heavy between his legs and the counter. He didn’t dare try to reach it, because if Steve wanted him to move, he would have said so. Steve grabbed Bucky’s hips with both hands and pulled him back half a step. Then he gripped Bucky’s neck again, but this time rougher, tighter, and at a better angle.

“ _Fuck_ , so good for me,” Steve praised, and rolled his hips _just so_ and began brushing Bucky’s prostate with every thrust. It added to the pleasure in his balls, in his stomach, and along his spine until he felt as shimmery as the glitter on Steve’s skin.

Bucky very much wanted to tell Steve that he loved him too, he loved being good for him, he loved their life together and couldn’t imagine anything better. As it was, the only cohesive word he could form while his brain buzzed in ecstasy and his body sang was, “Please…”

“It’s okay, Buck. I got you.” Steve soothed, and used his leverage to pull Bucky’s pelvis up just a few more degrees so the pleasure coiling inside of him amplified so much that Bucky thought he might start to break apart. He needed...god, he needed to _come,_ but he couldn’t get a hand between his legs, and he didn’t dare move because that might change the angle that had him seeing stars.

He watched Steve in the mirror, who was groaning and had his head tilted back, a lewd vision that seared itself into Bucky’s mind.

“Steve…” he moaned weakly, sure that he was about to die a most spectacular death.

Steve crowded him against the counter, kissing and nipping at his back, neck, face, and mouth. “Fuck, Bucky, you’re everything to me, love of my life, never gonna-”

Bucky cut him off as he cried out in a roar, the pleasure crescendoing into an orgasm that shook him to his very bones.

“Did you just...? Are you _coming?_ ” Steve asked in delighted wonder, as Bucky gasped, groaned and nodded.

“Don’t stop, Stevie, _please!”_

Steve thrust harder and faster, obviously on the brink himself. “Fuckin’ hottest thing I’ve ever seen, god _damn…”_ and with another string of curses, his thrusts stuttered as he spilled inside of Bucky; filling, marking, _claiming_ once more. They stared at each other in the mirror, and smiled stupidly before Steve grabbed the plug, gave it a cursory rinse under the tap, lubed it back up, and pulled himself out.

“Gonna keep this in me all night, know that I belong to you. I earned this, fair and square.” Bucky said, pleased as punch.

Steve pushed the plug in and kissed the small of Bucky’s back. “You certainly did. That’s a neat trick, by the way. Had no idea you could come without touch.”

“Neither did I,” he said honestly. Bucky’s brain was coming back online, and what Steve just said hit him. And it was _right there,_ how could Bucky resist, especially after the terrible lines Steve fed him earlier? “So, was my _trick_ a _treat_ for you?”

“You know what, Barnes?” Steve asked.

Bucky just grinned at him.

They cleaned themselves up and adjusted their costumes as best they could, exchanging dopey smiles every once in awhile. When they eventually emerged from the bathroom, Bucky looked normal for a partygoer: flushed, mussed, and glassy-eyed.

Steve on the other hand, looked positively debauched.

His hair was now well and truly ‘just-fucked’ tousled, he’d sweat streaks through his body glitter, his knees were red and dirty, and he’d snapped one of the elastic bands on his wings during their activities.

Rather than take off the wings (without which Steve insisted his costume would look like a go-go dancer) he tied the ends of the elastic in a knot. The wings were askew, but preserved the spirit of the costume, and that’s what was important, okay, Bucky?

Bucky himself was glowing with pride as they returned to the party hand in hand. On the way to find Sam and Natasha, they bumped into a Bettie Page, who looked Steve up and down with indignation before her eyes lit up.

“YES, Tink! _Get it!_ ” she yelled, and high-fived Steve.

Bucky raised an eyebrow at him, but all he did was smile sheepishly.

“Okay, it’s time to announce the winners of the couples costume contest!” they heard from the stage, where Pepper Potts and the judges were standing. “The third place prize is a weekend getaway to the Hamptons, won by Khaleesi and Khal Drogo!”

There was applause and friendly cheering, and Pepper, dressed in a skeleton bodysuit, handed Khal and Khaleesi an envelope. They were indeed very convincing, even if Khal Drogo’s long ponytail was blond instead of brown.

“Second Place prize is a week-long vacation to the Bahamas, going to? Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole!”

Slightly louder applause reigned as Jason and Sharon took to the stage. Jason looked pleased, and so did Sharon, although it was hard to miss the flash of disappointment in her eyes. Bucky supposed she had a week in the Caribbean to get over it.

“First Place and Grand Prize,” Skeleton-Pepper continued as Jason and Sharon left the stage, “Is ten days at Walt Disney World and EPCOT Resort in Orlando! And the winners are....Captain Hook and Tinkerbell!”

Instead of applause, the quiet continued until someone shouted, “ _Which ones?_ ”

As far as Bucky could tell, there were no less than three Hooks and Tinks in the room.

Pepper raised an eyebrow at the crowd. “I would have thought that was obvious? But okay, to clarify: Captain Hook and Tinkerbell as interpreted by James Barnes and Steven Rogers!”

Their ascent to the stage was met with thunderous applause and wolf-whistles.

\---

Bucky was right: glitter obeyed different laws of physics than the rest of the universe.

Steve scrubbed his entire body _four times_ , and still there was glitter on his towel...and pajamas...and sheets.

The next morning, he was quietly eating a breakfast of secret apple strudel - and damn if Steve didn’t love Bucky with every fiber of his being - and researching Disney World on his iPad.

Bucky shuffled in, sleepily kissing Steve in the vicinity of his head and patting him clumsily on the way to the coffee pot. Once Bucky sat down, got a few swigs of of coffee and a few bites of strudel in him, Steve showed him the iPad.

“Look, Buck! They have all these exhibits on the golden age of animation!”

Bucky grunted at him. “Wanna go on the Astro Blasters.”

Steve snorted. “What, you wanna make your own Lightsaber, too?”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah, it’s like right next door to the Astro Blasters or something.” Bucky scooched Steve’s iPad closer and quickly lost himself to it.

Steve glanced over to the First Place certificate hanging on their fridge, and nudged Bucky’s foot under the table. “Hey, Buck?”

“Hm?”

“I think I like Halloween. Just never knew until I spent it with you.”

Bucky blushed over his mug. “Sap. Happy day-after-Halloween, Stevie.”

“Happy All Saints’ Day, Buck.”

Bucky threw his balled-up napkin at Steve’s head, and Steve laughed as it bounced off his temple.

Yeah, Halloween was pretty great, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Come [Tumble](https://duelingnebulas.tumblr.com/) with me!


End file.
